Dem Sen Gillibrand: ‘Ultimately’ Gorsuch Will Be Confirmed By the Senate

21 Feb 2017

Tuesday in an interview with New York City-based NY1, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said she expected President Donald Trump’s nominee to fill the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy Neil Gorsuch to be confirmed.

She explained why she opposed the 10th Circuit Court appellate judge but said she had little faith that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wouldn’t do what was necessary to see that he is confirmed.

“I am hopeful that my colleagues will vote their conscience and decide up or down whether this nominee is worthy of this high responsibility,” she said. “I hope we do vote him down. But make no mistake: If we do hold the line with 60 votes, Mitch McConnell will change the rules the next day. So it will be Mitch McConnell’s decision. I do not have any hope that he won’t change the rules the minute he doesn’t get his way. So it likely will be 51 votes, regardless, at any given time that a nominee is blocked. But I expect our colleagues to vote their conscience and to really look at his record and see if he’s really the kind of nominee that’s worthy of our support.”

When asked if her comments meant Gorsuch would be confirmed, she acknowledged as much.